Koshering Pots And Pans: The Process

To kosher pots and pans, the items must be clean and unused for about a day. The way non-kosher food is absorbed into the walls of the utensil is the way it is expelled. So, a pot used for stewing can be koshered by boiling, while a pan used for frying or baking can be koshered by blowtorching (direct contact with heat). For example, frying pans that used oil should be heated on a burner set over high heat until a piece of paper touching the pan gets singed.

Pots and pans used for frying or baking need blowtorching

When koshering pots and pans, it's important to remember that the way non-kosher food is absorbed into the utensil is the way it should be expelled. For example, a pot used for stewing can be koshered by boiling, but a pan used for frying or baking can only be koshered by blowtorching, i.e. direct contact with heat.

If you are koshering a frying pan that has been used with oil, it should be heated on a burner set to high heat until a piece of paper touching the pan gets singed. This is known as libun kal, or "simple purification".

Metal baking pans must be koshered by libun gamur, which means they must be heated over an open flame (such as a blowtorch) until they are red hot. This treatment can damage many pans, such as those made from aluminium, so you may prefer to buy new baking pans.

According to some more lenient rulings, you can kosher metal baking pans by placing them in the oven, set at the highest setting, for one hour, or by letting them stay in the oven during the self-cleaning process.

Boiling water can be used for pots used to heat liquid foods

Boiling water can be used to kosher pots used to heat liquid foods. This process is known as hag'alah or hagalah.

To kosher a pot using boiling water, first thoroughly clean the pot with hot water. Only pots that can be scrubbed clean may be koshered. Pots with rolled lips, for example, cannot be koshered because they have areas that cannot be cleaned. After cleaning, the pot should be left unused for 24 hours.

Once the 24 hours have passed, the pot can be immersed in a larger pot of boiling water for 15 seconds or longer, ensuring that all parts of the pot come into contact with the boiling water. If the pot is too large to be fully submerged, it can be submerged in parts, ensuring that each part is fully covered by the boiling water for at least 15 seconds. After koshering, the pot should be rinsed in cold water.

If the pot is too large to be submerged in another pot, it can be filled to the top with water and brought to a boil. Then, a large stone or piece of metal can be heated and dropped into the pot, causing the water to overflow and cover the outside of the pot with boiling water.

Metal utensils can be kashered by boiling

To kosher metal utensils, fill a metal pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Then, fully submerge the clean metal utensils. It is recommended to kasher a long utensil first so that you can easily remove kashered utensils afterward. For long utensils, you can kasher both sides in two steps. For very long utensils that will not be fully submerged, you can pour boiling water onto the middle unsubmerged portion.

Utensils with wooden or bone handles that have no crevices and will not be damaged by boiling water may also be kashered. Thoroughly clean the utensils of food and rust (especially at the joints). Wait 24 hours, then drop them into a pot of boiling water. Make sure the water is boiling when you place the utensils in the pot. Remember that placing the utensils in the pot may lower the water temperature, so wait for the water to bubble again before removing them.

Large utensils may be koshered in the water, one side at a time. Make sure that the part you are immersing is completely surrounded by water. Remove the utensil and rinse it in cold water. If you use tongs to insert the utensil into the boiling water, reposition them so that the original area they touched can now be exposed to the hot water. Return the utensil to the boiling water.

It is recommended to kasher all utensils before the end of the time on erev Pesach that one is allowed to eat chametz. Kashering may not be done on Passover itself.

Frying pans that used oil need to be heated until a piece of paper touching the pan gets singed

Frying pans that have been used for frying with oil cannot be kashered by boiling water. Instead, they must be kashered by libun kal, or "simple purification". This involves heating the frying pan on a burner set over high heat until a piece of paper touching the pan gets singed. The temperature required for this is about 450°F.

Libun kal is one of three basic levels of kashering that apply to frying pans. The other two are:

• Libun gamur: Heating the utensil until it is red hot (about 850°F).
• Hagalah: Dipping the utensil into a pot of boiling water.

The method of kashering depends on the usage of the utensil. For example, a grill that has direct fire will require libun gamur, while hagalah will suffice for a pot used for soup. Libun kal satisfies the requirements for hagalah and is also used in place of libun gamur in certain specific cases.

It's important to note that, according to Orthodox rulings, pans coated with Teflon cannot be kashered. According to Conservative rulings, they can be. If the Teflon surface is scratched, the pan should be replaced.

Metal baking pans can be heated over an open flame

If you do choose to kosher your metal baking pans using libun gamur, you must first clean them thoroughly and then let them rest, unused, for 24 hours. After this, you can heat them over an open flame, such as with a blowtorch, until they are red-hot. This treatment can damage pans, so it should be done with care and only when other methods are not feasible.

Some more lenient rulings suggest that metal baking pans can be kashered by placing them in an oven set to the highest temperature for one hour or by using the self-cleaning setting. This method is less likely to damage the pans but may not be acceptable to those who follow stricter interpretations of Jewish law.

It is worth noting that glass baking pans cannot be kashered according to Orthodox rules in the Ashkenazic tradition and must be replaced. However, according to Sephardic and Mizrahi halakhah, glass baking pans can be kashered by exposing them to flame or baking them in the oven on the highest setting.

When kashering any utensils, it is important to follow the correct procedures and, if in doubt, consult with a rabbi or other expert in Jewish law.

Frequently asked questions